  Penelopetheduck Member Username: Penelopetheduck Post Number: 40 Registered: 09-2006 |
Does anyone know what the giant glacier looking thing on the Detroit side of Belle Isle is? It appears to be a glacier with a tree in the middle...but why? Water main break? art project gone wrong? | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 735 Registered: 11-2003 |
Welcome to Detroit, Penelope! That's Belle Isles' famous Ice Tree. It's exactly what it looks like: a few pines strapped together and covered with water that freezes. It makes ice caves to play in and quite an interesting site just to pass by! | ||
Penelopetheduck Member Username: Penelopetheduck Post Number: 41 Registered: 09-2006 |
Now I want more information because I have never heard of the "Famouse Ice Tree" and I feel robbed. Whose idea was this? When? Were they high? | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 2940 Registered: 08-2007 |
That has been a tradition for many years on Belle Isle. When did it start and why? Hmmm, my memory needs some jogging. Was it mid-70s? I got here in the mid-60s and I remember when they started this, but not the reasoning behind it. This is from DetroitCity.com: UPDATE: I've done some digging, and it appears that this has been an annual attraction since at least the 60's. I would guess that this unusually cold winter has allowed for a much more impressive ice buildup than the relatively warmer winters we've had the last few years. Enjoy it while it lasts! http://www.detroitcity.com/blo gs/viewblog.php?id=2266 | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 398 Registered: 10-2007 |
The Parks and Rec Department have done it there every winter since I was a little kid (which means at least since the mid '60s). Whenever we had a prolonged freeze for a few days we would drive over there on the weekend and have a look. It's an east side tradition. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1773 Registered: 11-2005 |
Used to do it all the time on Washington Boulevard in front of the Cadillac Hotel (now the site of the Book-Caddy). There are postcards of it. Here's a photo from WPR Library: http://tinyurl.com/chs3ac Belle Isle frozen fountain: http://tinyurl.com/cl5h3o | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 1660 Registered: 10-2003 |
This is what it looked like a few days before Christmas. And there istn't a tree under there. Just a telephone pole.  | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 1147 Registered: 02-2007 |
When I was there on the 28th of February, I could see that there were evergreen tree pieces sticking out the top. | ||
Raj313 Member Username: Raj313 Post Number: 72 Registered: 01-2009 |
That's where the official city Christmas trees go after the new year. It's been that way for the 51 years that I have been living here. | ||
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man Post Number: 1056 Registered: 05-2006 |
There IS a tree under there. I took this today before the parade.  |
